Microbial fixation of methane carbon at 2.7 Ga: was an anaerobic mechanism possible?
Abstract
In Earth's history, the most extreme episode of 13C‐depletion in sedimentary organic matter occurred about 2.7 billion years ago. This isotopic excursion is widely interpreted as resulting from increased burial of organic carbon derived from microbial fixation of 13C‐depleted methane. Modern microbial physiologies involve either oxygen or sulfate as electron acceptors in such processes. Until now, the isotopic signal has been exclusively assigned to growth of aerobic, methanotrophic bacteria and consequently interpreted as an indication for the presence of molecular oxygen in Late Archaean surface environments. The alternative anaerobic pathway involving sulfate as the electron acceptor was dismissed because this process has been considered inefficient in producing biomass sufficient to account for significant fractions of 13C‐depleted carbon in some Archaean rocks. Calculations based on recent findings at two modern sites now show, however, that anaerobic processes could account for the Archaean signal.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
There is much evidence that H2O and biogenic CH4 were most likely also present around 2.6-2.8 Ga.
“Besides the main atmospheric species CO 2 and N 2 there is much evidence that H 2 O and biogenic CH 4 were most likely also present around 2.6 - 2.8 Ga (Hinrichs 2002; Zahnle et al. 2010; Zerkle et al. 2012; Lammer et al. 2018).”
From The young Sun's XUV-activity as a constraint for lower CO2-limits in the Earth's Archean atmosphere (2021) · cites this paper as Hinrichs 2002
Cites
A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane
Boëtius, A., Ravenschlag, K., Schubert, C. J., Rickert, D., Widdel, F., Gieseke, A., Amann, R., Jørgensen, B. B., Witte, U. F. M., & Pfannkuche, O. (2000) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35036572 · Cited by 3,121 · see citing works
Whiticar, M. J., Faber, E., & Schoell, M. (1986) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(86)90346-7 · Cited by 1,931 · see citing works
Atmospheric Influence of Earth's Earliest Sulfur Cycle
Farquhar, J., Bao, H., & Thiemens, M. (2000) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.289.5480.756 · Cited by 1,805 · see citing works
Earth's earliest biosphere : its origin and evolution
Schopf, J. W. (1983) · Cited by 1,290 · see citing works
Archean Molecular Fossils and the Early Rise of Eukaryotes
Brocks, J. J., Logan, G. A., Buick, R., & Summons, R. E. (1999) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.285.5430.1033 · Cited by 1,275 · see citing works
Methane-consuming archaebacteria in marine sediments
Hinrichs, K., Hayes, J. M., Sylva, S. P., Brewer, P. G., & DeLong, E. F. (1999) · Nature · doi:10.1038/19751 · Cited by 1,258 · see citing works
Self-citationMethane-Consuming Archaea Revealed by Directly Coupled Isotopic and Phylogenetic Analysis
Orphan, V. J., House, C. H., Hinrichs, K., McKeegan, K. D., & DeLong, E. F. (2001) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1061338 · Cited by 1,101 · see citing works
Self-citationHoehler, T. M., Alperin, M. J., Albert, D. B., & Martens, C. S. (1994) · Global Biogeochemical Cycles · doi:10.1029/94gb01800 · Cited by 793 · see citing works
Orphan, V. J., Hinrichs, K., Ussler, W., Paull, C. K., Taylor, L. T., Sylva, S. P., Hayes, J. M., & DeLong, E. F. (2001) · Applied and Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1128/aem.67.4.1922-1934.2001 · Cited by 664 · see citing works
Self-citationIsotopic evidence for microbial sulphate reduction in the early Archaean era
Shen, Y., Buick, R., & Canfield, D. E. (2001) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35065071 · Cited by 620 · see citing works
Iversen, N., & Jørgensen, B. B. (1985) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.1985.30.5.0944 · Cited by 552 · see citing works
Greenhouse warming by CH <sub>4</sub> in the atmosphere of early Earth
Pavlov, A. A., Kasting, J. F., Brown, L. L., Rages, K. A., & Freedman, R. (2000) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1029/1999je001134 · Cited by 537 · see citing works
Metabolic activity of subsurface life in deep-sea sediments
D'Hondt, S., Rutherford, S., & Spivack, A. J. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1064878 · Cited by 529 · see citing works
The Archean Sulfur Cycle and the Early History of Atmospheric Oxygen
Canfield, D. E., Habicht, K. S., & Thamdrup, B. (2000) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.288.5466.658 · Cited by 497 · see citing works
New perspectives on anaerobic methane oxidation
Valentine, D. L., & Reeburgh, W. S. (2000) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1046/j.1462-2920.2000.00135.x · Cited by 452 · see citing works
The Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane: New Insights in Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry
Hinrichs, K., & Boëtius, A. (2002) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-05127-6_28 · Cited by 438 · see citing works
Self-citationLow-latitude glaciation in the Palaeoproterozoic era
Evans, D. A. D., Beukes, N. J., & Kirschvink, J. L. (1997) · Nature · doi:10.1038/386262a0 · Cited by 387 · see citing works
Aharon, P., & Fu, B. (2000) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/s0016-7037(99)00292-6 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
Buick, R. (1992) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.11536492 · Cited by 361 · see citing works
Molecular and isotopic analysis of anaerobic methane-oxidizing communities in marine sediments
Hinrichs, K., Summons, R. E., Orphan, V. J., Sylva, S. P., & Hayes, J. M. (2000) · Organic Geochemistry · doi:10.1016/s0146-6380(00)00106-6 · Cited by 358 · see citing works
Self-citationHighly isotopically depleted isoprenoids: molecular markers for ancient methane venting
Thiel, V., Peckmann, J., Seifert, R., Wehrung, P., Joachim Reitner, A., & Michaelis, W. (1999) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/s0016-7037(99)00177-5 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Chronological correlations between the Pilbara and Kaapvaal cratons
Nelson, D. R., Trendall, A. F., & Altermann, W. (1999) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/s0301-9268(99)00031-5 · Cited by 243 · see citing works
Richards, M. A., Yang, W., Baumgardner, J. R., & Bunge, H. (2001) · Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems · doi:10.1029/2000gc000115 · Cited by 236 · see citing works
Arndt, N., Nelson, D. R., Compston, W., Trendall, A. F., & Thorne, A. M. (1991) · Australian Journal of Earth Sciences · doi:10.1080/08120099108727971 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
Anaerobic mineralization in marine sediments from the Baltic Sea-North Sea transition
Jørgensen, B. B., Bang, M., & Blackburn, T. H. (1990) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps059039 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Visscher, P. T., Baumgartner, L. K., Buckley, D. H., Rogers, D. R., Hogan, M. E., Raleigh, C., Turk, K. A., & Marais, D. J. D. (2003) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1046/j.1462-2920.2003.00418.x · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Bian, L., Hinrichs, K., Xie, T. M., Brassell, S. C., Iversen, N., Fossing, H., Jørgensen, B. B., & Hayes, J. M. (2001) · Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems · doi:10.1029/2000gc000112 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Self-citationAbundances and Isotopic Compositions of Carbon and Sulfur Species in Whole Rock and Kerogen Samples
Strauß, H., & Moore, T. B. (1992) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511601064.019 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Estimated Minimal Divergence Times of the Major Bacterial and Archaeal Phyla
Sheridan, P. P., Freeman, K. H., & Brenchley, J. E. (2003) · Geomicrobiology Journal · doi:10.1080/01490450303891 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Anomalous 13C depletion in early Precambrian graphites from Superior Province, Canada
Schoell, M., & Wellmer, F. (1981) · Nature · doi:10.1038/290696a0 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Kasting, J. F. (1997) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.276.5316.1213 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Trendall, A. F., Nelson, D. R., Laeter, J. R. D., & Hassler, S. W. (1998) · Australian Journal of Earth Sciences · doi:10.1080/08120099808728374 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Spatial variability in sedimentary processes on the Eel continental slope
Alexander, C., & Simoneau, A. M. (1999) · Marine Geology · doi:10.1016/s0025-3227(98)00116-9 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Murakami, T., Utsunomiya, S., Imazu, Y., & Prasad, N. (2001) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/s0012-821x(00)00344-7 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Blake, T. S. (2001) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/s0301-9268(00)00135-2 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Thode, H. G., & Goodwin, A. M. (1983) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/0301-9268(83)90080-3 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Middle Archean continent formation by crustal delamination
Zegers, T. E., & van Keken, P. E. (2001) · Geology · doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2001)029
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Bekker, A., Slack, J. F., Planavsky, N., Krapez, B., Hofmann, A., Konhauser, K. O., & Rouxel, O. J. (2010) · Economic Geology · doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.105.3.467 · Cited by 1,013 · see citing works
Reassessing the first appearance of eukaryotes and cyanobacteria
Rasmussen, B., Fletcher, I. R., Brocks, J. J., & Kilburn, M. R. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature07381 · Cited by 612 · see citing works
How Earth's atmosphere evolved to an oxic state: A status report
Catling, D. C., & Claire, M. W. (2005) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.06.013 · Cited by 376 · see citing works
Late Archean rise of aerobic microbial ecosystems
Eigenbrode, J. L., & Freeman, K. H. (2006) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0607540103 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
Riedinger, N., Formolo, M. J., Lyons, T. W., Henkel, S., Beck, A., & Kasten, S. (2014) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/gbi.12077 · Cited by 231 · see citing works
BARLEY, M., BEKKER, A., & KRAPEZ, B. (2005) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.06.062 · Cited by 241 · see citing works
A bistable organic-rich atmosphere on the Neoarchaean Earth
Zerkle, A. L., Claire, M. W., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., Farquhar, J., & Poulton, S. W. (2012) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/ngeo1425 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Geological constraints on the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis
Farquhar, J., Zerkle, A. L., & Bekker, A. (2011) · Photosynthesis Research · doi:10.1007/s11120-010-9594-0 · Cited by 223 · see citing works
Biogeochemical modelling of the rise in atmospheric oxygen
CLAIRE, M. W., CATLING, D. C., & ZAHNLE, K. J. (2006) · Geobiology · doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2006.00084.x · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Krissansen-Totton, J., Buick, R., & Catling, D. C. (2015) · American Journal of Science · doi:10.2475/04.2015.01 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Strange messenger: a new history of hydrogen on Earth, as told by xenon
Zahnle, K. J., Gacesa, M., & Catling, D. C. (2019) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2018.09.017 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Horizontal gene transfer constrains the timing of methanogen evolution
Wolfe, J. M., & Fournier, G. P. (2018) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0513-7 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Eigenbrode, J. L., Freeman, K. H., & Summons, R. E. (2008) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.06.037 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Oxidative sulfide dissolution on the early Earth
Reinhard, C. T., Lalonde, S. V., & Lyons, T. W. (2013) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.10.006 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Geologic and Geochemical Constraints on Earth's Early Atmosphere
Farquhar, J., Zerkle, A. L., & Bekker, A. (2014) · Treatise on Geochemistry · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-095975-7.01304-8 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Thomazo, C., Nisbet, E. G., Grassineau, N. V., Peters, M., & Strauss, H. (2013) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2013.06.036 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
The young Sun's XUV-activity as a constraint for lower CO2-limits in the Earth's Archean atmosphere
Johnstone, C. P., Lammer, H., Kislyakova, K. G., Scherf, M., & Güdel, M. (2021) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117197 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“Besides the main atmospheric species CO2 and N2 there is much evidence that H2O and biogenic CH4 were most likely also present around 2.6 – 2.8 Ga (Hinrichs 2002; Zahnle et al. 2010; Zerkle et al. 2012; Lammer et al. 2018).”
BackgroundInfluentialFlannery, D. T., Allwood, A. C., & Van Kranendonk, M. J. (2016) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2016.09.021 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hinrichs, K.
- Affiliations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hinrichs, Kai‐Uwe
- ORCID
- Hinrichs, Kai‐Uwe
- Venue
- Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2002-07
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1-10
- ISSN
- 1525-2027 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1566776431
- Cited by
- 106
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 4.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Keywords
- microbial carbon fixation, carbon isotope excursion, sulfate-reducing bacteria, anaerobic oxidation of methane, methanotrophic bacteria, Late Archean, sediment organic carbon, early Earth
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review